VITUPURAM: Senior leader P Shanmugam was unanimously elected the new Tamil Nadu secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Sunday at the conclusion of the party’s 24th state conference.
Shanmugam, a member of the CPM central committee, succeeded K Balakrishnan and has been associated with the Left movement since his student days. He founded the Tribal People’s Association and is known for leading a legal battle on behalf of tribal persons affected by the Vachathi incident. CM MK Stalin extended his wishes to both leaders on social media.
Speaking to reporters, Shanmugam said the ruling DMK had misunderstood the CPM’s criticism of the refusal of permission for the party's conference rally, as reflected in the editorial in the *Murasoli*.
"Rallies and protests are constitutional rights provided to any individual in the country, but the Villupuram police denied permission for the cadre rally, which resulted in the response of former secretary K Balakrishnan. The editorial claims that CPM is surviving due to the alliance with DMK, which is an exaggeration. CPM always stands with the suffering masses," he said.
The three-day conference adopted several resolutions demanding action from the state and union governments. The party took a firm stand against the eviction of poor families from waterbodies under judicial directives, calling for free housing titles for those displaced. The party criticised the police for suppressing peaceful protests and democratic voices.
A resolution opposed the state government’s decision to merge rural panchayats with municipal corporations, stating it undermined the unique needs of rural areas. The party demanded the government reconsider ward reorganisation plans.
Another resolution highlighted disparities in GST revenue sharing, accusing the union government of favouring northern states over Tamil Nadu.
The party reaffirmed its opposition to the imposition of Hindi and Sanskrit in Tamil Nadu. It urged the state government to fill teacher vacancies and create a more inclusive education policy.
The conference criticised both the National Education Policy (NEP) and Tamil Nadu’s state policy for failing to address these issues adequately.
